You may have an enclosure and just want to change the drivers. This is the easiest way and you instantly hear fundamental improvements. Clarity, colour, dynamics, subtlety, expression – music will swing and fascinate.
You are looking for a new system as you are not really satisfied with your components and result. There are only a few solutions. Building the right enclosure for your new woofer is the main thing. Material and craftsmanship are both very important. I urgently recommend using fir and pine (knotless) and maple. You'll find different kind of board ware dependent on your country. Hardwood veneer is the ultimate option, enamel sounds more easy but can't be achieved with industrial quality without treating the fir plywood first. This is costly. I further recommend an enclosure without any bracing at all in the beginning. Use an inner volume at least of 8-10 cubic feet and bear in mind the best ratio of 0.8:1:1.25 or 0.6:1:1.6. Also you don't need any horn for my high frequency drivers in the beginning. Try, no, – better hear them.
There are several manufacturers offering new horns in the market but of course you can search for vintage horns.
James. B. Lansing horns. A variety is available.
TAD TH4001 with adaptors for A284WVL and A594WVL.
Altec 1.4" horns.
Vented or Open Baffle enclosure solution with with 811-B horn.
Variations around the A416WVL and A515WVL. It was during the latter 1930s that Lansing developed the Iconic system, a small two-way system using a 15-inch low frequency driver and a small format high frequency compression driver, model 801, that fed a small multicellular horn. The Iconic system attained wide popularity throughout the motion picture industry as a monitor, and the basic system configuration, with only minor improvements, is in use today (from a well known Japanese manufacturer naming it "London Western type"). The model 801 driver was the precursor of the Altec Lansing model 802. The enclosure works perfect with Kilimanjaro-Series A416WVL and A515WVL as well as A1618WVL. Replacing the multicell horn by an all aluminium horn is recommended (horn available in conjunction with A801WVL and A284WVL/A285WVL).
The easiest way to drive the A515WVL will be an enclosure similar to Iconic.
Dimensions would be ideal if 56,4 x 69,5 x 85,9 cm or even better 43,8 x 70,4 x 110,4 cm. 18mm fir plywood is recommended, the enclosure vented on bottom and placed about 12,7cm above level with feets. You can make the soundboard somewhat smaller than the outer box dimensions and screw it to the front panel from backside. The back can be made removable by screwing in on battens. The enclosure looks similar to Iconic made by Lansing Manufacturing Co. – and it works.
Voice of the Theatre (A5, A7 VOTT).
If you want to use horns for the upper registers I recommend taking the vintage
Voice of the Theatre enclosure in consideration. It kills two birds with one stone:
1. phase coherence is given automatically with the right length of horn and
2. lower mids are unequalled with the short Voice horn. A good crossover is more easy this way.
And if enough is not enough – there are of course always...
...possibilities – come and visit my website again or, buy a pair of my field-coil woofers and begin! No one has ever heard a A...WVL who didn't want one!